The training was organized by Open Source Foundation for
Nigeria (OSFON) in collaboration with Free and Open Source Software Foundation
for Africa (FOSSFA) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit
(GIZ).
The first regional Train the Trainers on FOSS Business
Models in Western Africa, was designed to enable interested people,
institutions and businesses to act as trainers on the subject of building a
business with FOSS.
Vice chairman, OSFON, Mr. Seun Ojedeji told ITRealms Online
that the session which commenced on October 24, was a two-week training
exercise to empower West African citizens on FOSS innovative models.
Participants, he said, received intensive training on FOSS
business models in Africa, learn how ICT enterprises could use FOSS as a
business, obtain necessary business skills to establish and operate a FOSS
business in Africa, and acquire knowledge and skills to adopt FOSS training as
a business.
The main goal of the Training of Trainers, he said, is to
share skills and qualifications to equip African ICT companies with the
knowledge needed to successfully integrate FOSS into their business.
Those who took part in the exercise, he said, are expected
to give trainings on FOSS Business Models a part of their regular business
and/or teaching activities.
He hinted that successful applicants will have convincingly
demonstrated how they plan to carry out at least two trainings on the subject
in their own country in 2012 or earlier, and how they make trainings on FOSS
business models a permanent part of their business and/or teaching activities
in the future.
ITRealms Online also gathered that some of the topics
discussed in the course of the training covered ‘introduction to emerging FOSS
business models, African business models: case studies; communicating FOSS,
FOSS specific business knowledge and skills, as well as introduction to general
business skills and FOSS training.
This, he said, heralds the preparation for Idlelo 5 which
Nigeria won the hosting right earlier in the year and is preparing in top gear
for the continental event for open source software enthusiasts.
He gave some insights into Idlelo, saying that it’s a
Southern African word, which means “Common Grazing Ground.”
Idlelo, according to him captures the essence of FOSSFA’s
existence as well as the fundamental objective of the forthcoming conference.
He noted that the original idea of an African conference on
FOSS and the Digital Commons was born at about the same time as FOSSFA itself.
Ojedeji further said that programme areas for OSFON include
supporting initiatives to entrench policy framework for the National Open
Source Software and Standard; National Open Source Software and Standard
bureaus; Open Source Software and Standard advocacy, and consultancies.
Additionally, he said, OSFON focus encompasses Open Source
Software and Standard solutions for administration, governance and citizen
management; training for government and other Information Technology (IT)
managers to facilitate the migration from proprietary to Open Standards.
The vision of OSFON, the scribe said, is to promote and
advocate the use of FOSS and the FOSS model in the development of Nigeria,
stressing that the mission is to promote and educate decision makers in
government, education, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), businesses and
citizens on the advantages of using the Linux Operating System, Free and Open
Source Applications and Open Standard.
The aforementioned, he said, were shared among the recently
ended workshop participants.
Remmy Nweke
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
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